NFL Hall of Famer Michael J. Irvin says
he favors gay marriage and would support an openly gay professional
athlete.
The 45-year-old six-foot-two Irvin was
a key player for the Dallas Cowboys teams of the 90s that won three
Super Bowls. He now hosts The Michael Irvin Show on Miami's
WQAM radio and appears on the NFL Network.
In
a cover story for gay glossy Out,
Irvin said he supports treating gay and lesbian couples equally.
“I don't see how any African-American
with an inkling of history can say that you don't have the right to
live your life how you want to live your life,” he said. “No one
should be telling you who you should love, no one should be telling
you who you should be spending the rest of your life with. When we
start talking about equality and everybody being treated equally, I
don't want to know an African-American who will say everybody doesn't
deserve equality.”
Irving added that he's ready to support
an openly gay professional athlete.
“I will absolutely support him,”
Irvin said. “That's why I do my radio show every day. When these
issues come out, I want to have a voice to speak about them. I
think growth comes when we share. Until we do that, we're going to
be struck in the Dark Ages about a lot of things. When a guy steps
up and says, 'This is who I am,' I guarantee you I'll give him 100%
support.”